Same Sovereign x New Moon
by EternalKing
Summary: Witnessing the Umbral Star's danger up close, Hakuno slides the remains of the Moon Cell into a new world to help find new allies and make sure that Humanity can truly reach beyond the stars. But first, they need to deal with Khaos Brigade and rouge gods who don't understand their place.
1. Chapter 1

Same Sovereign x New Moon

Review for faster updates. Expect Kiara, Sakura Five plus Actual Sakura, as well as the Masters of the Extraverse coming back, not just Rin/Leo.

* * *

Within the cyberspace of the Moon lied a large territory that was an amalgamation of futuristic different styled cultures, with Roman and Japanese being the largest influences. Mare Aurum, Capital of Roses, and Mare Luxuria, Capital of Lust, were the Moon Cell's Largest territories that made up the center of the final and untouched home of man.

The reason lied on the broken Earth that was slowly being digitized. The [Umbral Star]/[Harvest Star].

Thankfully, it's appearance in the Milky Way had been noticed in advance. It gave Hakuno the opportunity to prepare the Moon Cell to survive. More than just that, he ended up absorbing the life that was on Earth and placed it in a Moon Cell recreated territory of Earth so that they wouldn't just die out like they did all those millions of years ago. It had caused a bit of a storm, but because [Humanity] did not desire [future] it was quickly accepted, with the Umbral Star not being told as the reason Hakuno and the Moon Cell brought them. Hakuno used the Moon Cell's resources to slow the passage of time, allowing them to properly take in the new citizens of the Moon Cell and get them used to its laws and their new life. Hakuno and his servants then proceeded to do their best to get them attached to [Life] and thus made them care for the [Future].

The Umbral Star had no eyes on Earth or the Moon Cell without Archimedes, and after slowly taking the other planets, it arrived at Earth at a spot that would allow it to take the Earth before the Moon Cell could act. However, this was within Hakuno's calculations, hence why he brought in life from Earth.

Even so, Hakuno hadn't accounted for Velber 01 and 03 to show up in the Moon Cell.

He had separated the territories the Velbers appeared at with their current territory, hence they were temporarily safe. Unfortunately, in the process of fighting back many of the servants at his disposal as well as the few NPCs and spiritron hackers he had trusted had lost their life to ensure the territories were no longer connected.

But even if the Velbers were no longer a problem, the same could not be said for the Umbral Star.

Hakuno thought he had comprehended how dangerous it truly was, but having witnessed it nearly shrug off an assault from some of the Top Servants, he realized that this might be a fight they couldn't win. Even with it focusing on the Earth it was also eating away the Moon Cell and had supported the Velbers assault. Gilgamesh had used 99% of his treasures and Tamamo had to sacrifice her Five tails worth of power to temporarily defeat the Umbral Star. Unfortunately Artoria did not have the chance to use Excalibur as the Umbral Star corrupted a portion of the Moon Cell inhabitants and servants and was deeply wounded in the timeframe it took to subdue them. Hakuno and the Moon Cell no longer had the power to slow down time enough to restore her and the top servants, not since Archimedes had made it easier for the Umbral Star to absorb the Moon Cell's resources from when he was still alive. It was if even the world itself had given up on surviving. The Grand Servants, the [Sword of the World] that should have appeared, did not.

Thus leading Hakuno to merge his largest cities to safeguard what remained of the Moon Cell's inhabitants. This was past the endgame and straight into an ending.

"Damn! The Umbral Star really ain't cool at all. I can't believe anything could survive Anego's serious power."

"I told you not to call me that! And while I used up most of my power, it's not as if it could survive the Sun's full heat directly."

A stoic voice followed the previous genki feminine voice. "And yet if you did fire at full power the Moon Cell would have been erased from existence and the Umbral Star might not even be defeated. We should be grateful we were able to shelter about a third of our population as is."

Hakuno and his closest servants were at the balcony of the palace, watching monitors of the Umbral Star eating Earth, and of a wave of corrupted attack programs trying to burst past their servant and artillery defenses.

The people filled the streets also watching monitors, slowly being consumed by despair, and also doing their best to cling onto hope by cheering every time a servant used their Noble Phantasm.

"This temporary peace will not last forever." Said his most temperamental servant, Gilgamesh, staring with narrowed eyes.

"Even so, planning for a counterattack is quite difficult...even if we were to use the Sword of Mars and the regalia to call upon the gods for assistance I'm still not certain we would win..." said the pained voice of Nero, his first servant.

"...I may have a plan...Though it won't let us win, it will give us time to prepare once more."

"Sousha yo?" "Goshujin-sama?" Said his two female servants in sync.

"As it is, we have no way of defeating the Umbral Star with our current resources. And we can't recover with the onslaught of attack programs either. Our only choice is to leave this space for another."

Hakuno looked over to Gilgamesh and [Nameless], both seemed to know what he was thinking.

Charl, Tamamo, and Nero seemed to perk up, but their faces quickly fell at seeing the look on his face.

-But there was no choice. So even without being told, in the end, they let me implement what can be considered our, no, [my] last stand.

He projected screens above the city, focusing on him and his servants, getting the attention of his [subjects]. He projected his voice to them loud and clear.

"People of the Moon Cell! As you have seen, we have been dealing with the [inhuman]/[alien] known as the [Umbral Star]/[Harvest Star]. Those of you who were brought in from Earth now see the reason why! I have brought you here to protect you from that threat! But even so, we were forced into this corner from its power and its surprise attack from its Agents!" The people merely murmured to each other, not sure what to say.

He looked at one of the screens, watching as Cú Chulainn fought even when skewered by multiple unconnected effigy arms. "I will not lie to you, as things are we have no path to defeat the Umbral Star while also protecting all of you. For my servants and I to win, it would first require the sacrifice of a majority of you." The people were frozen in fear. Hakuno was a praised and prided ruler over them. To NPCs, he was indeed their king, and nearly worshipped to the point of being deified. To the spiritron hackers and others, he was a just ruler who did not simply leave the fighting to others if he could help it. Hakuno's story of how he won the Holy Grail War through determination and the assistance of others was well known and inspiring. As was the story of his battles with Archimedes and Karl. His words told them they were either being sacrificed for victory, or would die after his defeat.

Hakuno took a deep breath.

"The Moon Cell and I have the ability to do one thing, to send you all to a place where the Umbral Star will take time to reach you! Thus-! Your Sovereign has one last order to you! Die with no regrets!" The people nearly began to sink at his words, but his voice rang through their ears before they could.

"You may flee and live the remainder of your life in safety or fight until your death! But no matter what, The Umbral Star is coming!-And there is no way for you to be safe from it! But if you wish to live, if you want your family and friends and your neighbor to live-!" At that a glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes.

"Fight alongside your sovereign as he orders! Even if that order is to grow food or create mystic codes, it is proof that you are fighting! Fight for your right to live! Fight for your future as I have and will! If there is any chance for us all to survive, it is through cooperation!"

The people within the Moon Cell's last territory roared. Both NPCs and True Beings alike yearned for their future. If fighting was their only path to living, then they would fight until their bodies broke, as all that is broken, can be fixed in some way. It was because they knew of Hakuno's battles that they believed him.

"No matter how high a wall may seem, if it cannot be overcome alone, then it's with one's [bonds] that it can climbed!"

The people began looking at each other and pumped their arms and shouted in sync. "HO! HO! HO!"

'I once told Twice that it is up to the people living to decide their own future. Even so, I, a ghost, an NPC, a glitch, became the world's only chance for future when all I wanted was to live.' He closed his eyes and turned so his back was to _his people_. 'Such a selfish wish...had long since outrun its course.'

The territory they were on began to glow as numbers flowed and swirled throughout the crowd.

"Master? What are you doing?" Charl asked. Knowing this was the time his servants would comment on his plans their voices were no longer projected.

"The Moon Cell and I can already see...this world...has no future. Even so, I don't want our efforts, our lives, to be for nothing, or rather- to end here." He said solemnly. "It's just like the first time we dealt with Archimedes and the Umbral Star. I'm going to [slide] the remainder of this territory and the Moon Cell's database into a new one. The Inhabitants shall keep their memories and will remember these moments: swearing to fight and to serve."

"Goshujin-sama...such an act will be easy enough for yourself, but to bring this territory and everyone within it..." Tamamo's ears were dropped as she gained a solemn look.

Nero looked confused. "I seem to be missing something, what exactly will happen to Sousha?"

[Nameless] took it from there. "To [slide] into another world's past...alone, it already puts incredible stress on one's body. To bring others and the remainder of the Moon Cell in the way Master intends...he won't be able to make it intact like the rest of us would." At that, [Nameless] looks over to Hakuno with a conflicted look.

Hakuno's closest and most trusted Servants gaze at him almost sadly. Gilgamesh looked on impassively.

In return, he only smiles. "During the Holy Grail War, I fought to live. Even when learning I was just an NPC I still trampled on the lives of others. Then, as the Moon Cell's Sovereign I fought to live, as well as to protect the Moon Cell and the world from Archimedes and Karl der Große. But I think I've done enough now. Like I said, [we've already outrun our course]/[this timeline is abandoned]. That's doubleso for a ghost of a ruler like me. If the lingering will of [Hakuno] should do anything, it would be to at least give those people a chance to live."

"It's unoriginal, but I think I'll steal the idea from [Me of another World]."

He swept his arm as he turned back to [his people]. "Dwellers of the Moon Cell! Just like yourselves I do not accept this ending! We will fight and defeat the Umbral Star for our new world! We will win and live our lives to the fullest!"

The [slide] began with them first. The roaring acknowledgement quieted as the process began transferring them to their new world.

Hakuno lowered his arm and looked to his Servants. "Unlike the Servants summoned from the Moon Cell, or the citizens of the Moon Cell, I won't tell you what to do. This regalia and the Moon Cell will acknowledge [yet another me], but even if my memories perfectly reach that person, that person will not be [me]. I won't tell you to fight for him."

The hands at his side are perfectly grasped by two women who are almost always in conflict, at the same time, tiny arms wrap themselves around his waist.

"Papa is papa, right?"

"You needn't worry Sousha...as you said, our story has yet to end."

"I'm certain that even if that person's [soul] is different, goshujin-sama's pure soul and mind will reach them."

A tanned hand grasps his right shoulder and a whiter hand grasps the left.

"You should already know that I won't just stand back and let the Umbral Star destroy the Moon Cell and the World. Not only that, but I have a bad habit of needing to take care of troublesome masters like you."

"C'mon Master! It wouldn't be cool at all if I do nothing after you do this type of amazing thing. A cool knight's gotta be loyal and fight for justice right?"

Red eyes gaze with a hint of warmth. "As King I will not allow the Umbral Star to have it's way. There is none who may tell me what I can or cannot do, but if there is a show that may entertain me, it is natural for me to watch and interfere as I please."

A smile graces my lips. I suppose it's natural to be ignored if I just tell them that.

"Then, it's time to begin-a new fight to live. To [another me] who hears these words, you who is alive and placed in an absurd uphill battle just like [Me]/[Hakuno Kishinami], You will die if you run, so your only choice is to -[Fight]/[Live]-. You will experience many things from the people around you. Choose to view this life of [another you] as yourself, or as a story. I'll leave the matter to you. All I ask is to treat your subjects and your servants as they deserve, even if you think you don't deserve them."

"This is the only remaining desire of a selfish existence. As the Sovereign of the Moon Cell, it is up to you to defeat the Umbral Star and ensure that Humanity can reach beyond the stars."

Thus ends the miracle being, who with a small, weak sword, earned his right to live.

Who unobserved by the [World], saved it and resisted [All the World's Pleasure] and a young girl's destructive love.

Thus having obtained the Crown of Victory, then protected the Kingdom of the New Frontier while saving a Maiden in White from her tragedy and saving a Holy Knight's future.

This was the legacy of Hakuno Kishinami. An NPC who gained a soul from the feeling of not wanting to die without leaving a single thing behind. I have no regrets about reaching a bad end like this in a situation like this.

Well, if I had one, it would be not using all the command seals in the Moon Cell to force Gilgamesh into eating Mapo Tofu before activating the slide. After all, I'm already dying here.


	2. Chapter 2

SSxNM 2

"Geez. That troublesome idiot. He didn't even give us a warning on what he was doing at all." Said a blonde girl with twin tails. She had a look of sadness despite her words. She looked over a list of the currently active servants, making notes on those they can allow on Earth and those they couldn't.

"Despite the suddenness of his actions, it seems Seito Kaicho was able to leave us careful instructions on how to proceed in this world in the short timeframe he made the decision. I can see why as well, just from the notes we've been provided it seems to be quite unlike our own, putting aside the two decade difference." Said a young blonde boy. He had a carefree look on his face as he read a hologram monitor.

"Yet at the very bottom he asks for us not to waste resources to find him...I find myself reluctant to follow this particular order, but I cannot deny that we will have our work cut out for us even without searching for him..." said a frowning lavender haired girl.

These three were Rin, Leo, and Rani. They were Hakuno's most trusted generals and friends. Their bonds were built on conflict, conflict with each other, and conflict together. Even when they were supposed to be enemies, the way they treated each other could not be considered [Hostile], and as allies, it was as if there was nothing that they couldn't do.

Despite having been defeated by Hakuno in the Holy Grail War, due to the actions of a certain A.I. in the Far Side of the Moon Cell, they along with all the masters of war were snatched nanoseconds from deletion, fooling the Moon Cell into thinking its objective was completed. Eventually, some time after the regalia was rewarded to the nearly deleted Hakuno, the masters were returned to the Near Side of the Moon.

At the moment, they were in the Moon Cell, after having followed the first of Hakuno's instructions, which was to calm the people and ensure they understood what they wanted to do moving forward. With their society back in place, they were to analyze the new Earth and understand its differences before proceeding to subtly make their way into the different factions of the [World] and its [Sub-texture Worlds] like the Underworld.

Thankfully, when Hakuno had absorbed and digitized life on their Earth, it was done so in a way where the process could be reversed, allowing for them to easily sneak their way into the world with real bodies, as the Moon Cell could hack and seamlessly give them identities.

That being said, Hakuno left the actions and relations with the groups of this world entirely to them. Whether they became allies or enemies, he trusted their judgement. Whether they came out publicly or not was up to them as he took away the command seals of all the masters except for a few he trusted with his life. Besides them, who were generally the ones in charge for their digital kingdom, was Shinji, Jinanko, Dan, Julius, as well those he and his servants deemed trustworthy of command seals.

However, despite the handful of Masters left, even though they were essentially Generals, only these three along with Shinji were capable of really doing anything meaningful outside of battle. Shinji himself was currently busy and in charge of the population itself, leaving them to consider their future actions. But without the Regalia, they could only have the Moon Cell perform relatively simple and straightforward tasks.

"Hm, now that I think about it, where the hell is the NEET? Her note didn't mention where she was going aside from Japan. The fact that Karna is gone in a situation like this is worrying." Rin asked.

Rani replied, "I do not believe we have cause for worry. Jinanko-san has changed positively since meeting Hakuno, and Karna-san will appropriately protect her while also hiding himself."

"That's the problem." Rin huffed. "If anyone recognizes his power and aura it'll just make a mess out of things. The gods of this world may have become weaker due to the lack of belief and worship, they're still beings not to be trifled with. I don't want our infiltration efforts to all be for nothing just because Jinanko felt like forcing herself to do some good. You two know how Karna's attitude comes off to people. Starting a conflict this early is the last thing we want to do."

Rani adjusted her glasses while Leo moved a hologram in front of him and read off it. "Well either way, we're going to have to contact the Moon gods and goddesses. They've apparently noticed the change in the Moon and are meeting in secret to discuss it."

"Hakuno has mentioned here that as long as we do not antagonize them, the divine spirits will keep our existence a secret until he turns up." Rani said looking at his instructions.

Rin sighed and massaged her temples. "What a twisted timeline we live in-where Hakuno of all people is telling us to be careful."

This caused Leo to chuckle while Rani continued to look over the instructions, both held a sad look in their eyes like Rin.

The door to their conference room opened up to reveal [Nameless].

Leo looked over in surprise. "Ah, [Nameless], I'm surprised to see you here. You along with the others were listed as missing. I didn't think we would see you here."

The white haired man simply nodded. "The others have decided to search for Master while leaving the groundwork to you all, except for Gilgamesh, who, predictably has disappeared to judge this new world with his own eyes. As for me, I've simply decided I would be needed more here. I don't think there's a reason to rush to find his parallel self. He'll call us when he's ready. In the meantime, I have our first action already confirmed. The next time lock is quite a few years away, so let's make the best of it."

SSxNM

Meanwhile, a young brown haired male was walking alongside a beautiful woman. The young man was wearing a white shirt with a smiley face drawn on it with black pants. The woman on the other hand was far more elegant, wearing a turtleneck sweater with white pants and heels.

The two drew stares, or rather, the woman did, and if not for that the passerbyers would have called the cops.

The reason being? The woman was publicly and unashamedly wrapping the younger male's arm around her while also pushing her huge breasts into him.

"Kiara, why do you have to cling onto me so hard..." the teenager sighed.

"Ara ara? But how else will Big sister show her love for you?"

'You're my guardian, not my sister. And weren't you a nun at some point in your life? How can you be so innocently sinful?' He thought to himself.

In the end, he sighed, allowing her to walk them to their new apartment. He had a killer headache and couldn't wait to rest.

SSxNM

Tobio Ikuse did not know what he was expecting today.

He was actually expecting nothing at all. Ever since the day his childhood friend, as well as many of his schoolmates died(he preferred went missing) in a ship accident, he had stopped [living] and was only going through the days listlessly.

Except this day was uniquely unlike any other, as he was desperately trying to survive against a monstrously giant lion being controlled by said childhood friend who was apparently alive and hopefully some form of hypnosis given her lack of responses.

"Sae! Please stop!"

Even so, she didn't stop. She continued to send her lion to hunt him through the empty streets.

If only there was a predator to take down that lion he thought.

But with that thought, an image of a black dog ran through his mind, giving him a headache.

"Stop right there!"

A bullet slammed into the lion's mouth, spurting blood and forcing it to kneel at an unknown influence. The image he was seeing also disappeared.

"Dang old man, you got some nice aim."

A brown haired girl his age and a tall youth with dyed brown hair alongside an old man in green halted the lion.

"Ikuse…kun, right?" Not at all surprised by this situation, the girl asks as she looks at Tobio's face.

"Who else would he be?" The delinquent looking youth snarked at her.

"T-that's me…And you are…?"

Both seemed familiar to him. But he cannot remember clearly. It was certain he'd seen them somewhere…

"I'm Natsume Minagawa. We've never spoken directly, so it's natural you don't recognize me. I just so happen to have come across your picture."

The girl, who called herself Natsume, took out her phone from the pocket of her skirt without a care in the world, and showed him the screen. It was an image of him.

At the bottom, along with a familiar landscape, he had been photographed talking with old friends.

Seeing it, Tobio understood intuitively.

"You, you mean—"

When Tobio was about to say it aloud in surprise, Natsume continued his words while wearing a complacent smile.

"Uh huh, I'm a Ryoukuu High School second year survivor just like you."

The old man did not seem to care for talking at the moment. He kept and eye on the lion before calling out to someone not there. "Archer!"

Tobio jumped as his childhood friend collapsed, like a puppet with its strings cut. The lion on the other hand was filled with arrows.

The delinquent was the one that stopped him. "Don't worry. The old man here knows some people that have been finding all the people who disappeared from that incident and fixing what was done to them. Your girl here will be back to normal in no time."

That caught Tobio's attention. "What was done to them...?"

Natsume replied. "Yes. This is Kouki Samejima and Dan Blackmore. Samejima also goes to our school while Blackmore-san as well as some of his comrades are here to help us and our missing schoolmates."

Tobio just watched as a green hooded man appeared and lifted up his friend and dragged the lion toward them.

The old man coughed. "It's unfortunate to meet under these circumstance, but we will explain the situation you and your friend have stumbled to upon, or should I say, were born into."

"Huh?" Tobio didn't get what he was saying at all, but he kept an eye on Sae. The hooded man noticed and shrugged, before handing her off to him.

Tobio clutched her, proving to himself that this was no dream.

Dan smiled at him. "You needn't worry. None of us here intend on harming either of you. In fact, your two schoolmates here did not originally know what was going on as well, Archer and I simply reached them before you. For now, to put it simply, your classmate is currently not in control of her own body and her body will collapse if not given proper treatment."

Tobio knew this wasn't smart, but either way, he had just seen his missing childhood friend chase him with a lion that looked like it could kill an elephant and eat a train so- "I'm coming with if you promise to help her."

Kouki nodded approvingly while Natsume smiled in encouragement.

Dan held his hand near his ear. "Sir Julius. I've secured the final missing child. [The Wielder of the Black Dog] is coming with as well."

Tobio didn't know what that meant, and it was clear the other two didn't as well.

A swirl of blue numbers spiraled around them, and next thing he knew, he was staring at a beautiful sky and a futuristic city with ancient and modern influences.

"What the!?"

Kouki laughed, ignoring Natsume's pinch. "Yeah, we had that reaction too. You have a lot to learn about what's going on."

Tobio had no doubt. At this point, he had feeling it was like a story with either time travel or magic except not fictional.

Turns out, it was both.

SSxNM

Azazel had a frown on his face at Kokabiel's monotone yet also wary report. Kokabiel had no interest in humans, but he followed orders as he had a soldier mentality. It was to the point that if Azazel ordered him to do something stupid like steal the Excaliburs and pretend to kill the siblings of the Four Satans and force a peace treaty the man would do it without question.

Although the Leader of the Grigori had sent Kokabiel to save the sacred gear holders before something could happen to them, they were apparently gone before he even arrived. Moreso, the accident to hide the kidnapping of so many student was caused by the exiles of Japan's Five Principal Clans, with those students having returned under the belief that they were stranded on a island. The human news also acted as if that was the case, with a certain boat's crew acting, or hypnotized, into saying they were the ones who found the students.

The two fallen angels were old. And they knew Magician's from Europe had no part in what was going on in Japan. And the Five Principal Clans were stubborn and did not care to do anything about the situation.

That left two possibilities, no three possibilities.

One of the older Clans of Japan fixing the situation.

One of or all the Shinto gods fixing the situation on a whim or to fulfill a blessing.

Or worst of all, a new faction. With the precarious situation of the world, that could be anything but [very good].

He wouldn't mind being wrong though.

* * *

Currently this is four years before DxD canon, set in Slash/Dogs(don't remember if Slash/Dogs is given a proper timeframe but that's what I'm having it be in this universe).

The timelock after this would be Issei's run in with Raynare, with the result either being his death or survival depending on the timeline.

The one after that would be the Peace Conference.

The reason they were sent in the time of the Slash/Dogs was due to Hakuno's foresight. This allows for further preparation for the Three Biblical Factions to take them seriously, and prepare for Khaos Brigade and then later Trihexa+Umbral Star.

However- without a ruler, their actions as a faction/kingdom are ultimately restricted. Especially as Tamamo and Nero, the only other rulers besides Hakuno, are not there.

Also, Kiara is wearing her Empire of Dirt outfit, but I didn't know how to describe her sweater/jacket thing so I didn't bother. But with her around you know things are about to get Rated M. Tamamo also won't have to worry about the ESRB lol.

Expect somewhat harem antics. Hakuno has reached a Full bond with all his servants and naturally he'll cause some DxD girls to fall for him but mostly in the background. Nothing absurd though. If anything any romcom harem antics will be with his servants plus the Sakurafaces and Rin and Rani.

As for what will happen to Issei, well, there's a reason I mentioned his meeting/date with Raynare being a timelock. Regardless of the outcome he'll unlock his sacred gear, since if we're being meta that's what happens a lot in crossovers, with him either living or dying but unlocking boosted gear and learning of the supernatural anyways. Anyways, if you've read my other Fate and DxD fanfic you know how I feel for the most part about DxD. The Devils can do no wrong because there's a clear line between their evil counterparts and heroic counterparts but the Fallen Angels and Heaven are always bending over with apparently nothing good coming from their existence(for the most part) as the entire factions takes the fall for their poisoned apples.

Also, don't worry about power levels. People don't seem to understand the proper way to compare them. IDK what people expect when you put someone specifically listed as one of the top ten existences(Sirzechs) against someone who specifically has to fight using weaknesses(EMIYA). But DxD will be pretty reasonable. For example if we compare Rias's power, for the most part it could be blocked until later on when she's not useless anymore. The same goes for the Fateverse as they are specifically able to power up due to Extraverse's Moon Cell allowing for Servants to be powered up in multiple ways. Besides, just because something is powerful doesn't mean it can't be killed.

Super short chapter, but, well, real life and trying to write for my other stories gets in the way.

Review for more! Feel free to mention what you want or expect to happen in the future. Hero Factions Stomp can't be written down because OFC it will happen later on.


	3. Chapter 3

SSxNM 3

Just to get something out of the way. Issei will be getting a harem, but more of a future mentioned thing. Rias will continue to think of him like a little brother, Asia wont instalove, Koneko will continue to dislike him, Akeno will tease him and might even bang him(but not love until the future) Irina won't cling to old childish feelings, etc etc. But they won't be entering Hakuno's harem either.

Vali team will exist but will not be in Khaos Brigade nor will Vali betray Azazel. It's one of the stupidest things in dxd considering absolutely no one treats them as an enemy and he ends up adopted by Odin not long after. (Unrelated but Slash Dogs Vali is the chuuniest and funniest thing ever)

Also, I'm making it so the Hero faction is slightly less hypocritical. They're the same as in canon but also desire to have humans be in charge of humans.

It's also my new fannon that Azazel ordered Kokabiel to do what he did in canon to kickstart the peace conference while also secretly messaging Michael and the Satans so they don't ruin it. Hence why the latter don't bust Koka's nuts as soon as he attacks and why Koka doesn't slaughter the devils and why Vali oneshots him. This mostly comes from the less cartoon villainy Koka's as well as how SlashDogs Koka just kind of shows up nonchalantly and bored while still following Azazel's orders.

SSxNM 3

_Before the eye of the Moon, two ghosts confront each other._

_They are both humans who lived in the past.  
_

_They are two of the few people who can express their impressions of the future in an truly objective manner._

_The messiah rejects the current future._

_However, you do not share a similar perspective. _

"_Even if you can't find any value in this era. Even if this future is all someone else's problem. Even if the future that we dreamed about is a foolish dead end. I cannot reject the life of the people that live here now."_

_"You... approve of this future?"_

_"No, like you, I cannot accept it... However, I still can't bring myself to hate it either."_

_Moon Cell; the observation device that became the stage for the Holy Grail War.  
_

_The reason why its cyber world has the appearance of an ocean:  
_

_If the basis of life is conflict, then the basis of the eye of the moon is to watch over.  
_

_That way of existing was unconsciously understood by the Masters who arrived at the Moon.  
_

_But only he who reached the Nucleus faster than anyone else, failed to understand the strength of that way of existing, or rather, he didn't want to understand. _

"_...even so. Stagnation is our reality." The tragedies we caused cannot be changed.  
_

_The responsibility we stole must be carried out.  
_

_While accepting the premonition of his defeat, the fragment of a messiah, not ready to give up on his personal theory, taking your existence as evidence, takes up his sword._

"_If you think about it, humanity had already started to rot away in its adolescence. Until the year 1900, humanity was in its growth period. But after that, the immature adolescent teen era that was meant to follow it; the golden age that was finally supposed to arrive was practically non-existent. As if it were rotten fruit. The most rich and prosperous period was entirely missing. And that's incredibly sinful. If we don't produce results that match up to the things we sacrificed, and to the costs we fostered, then everything will be no more than a lie. This future is wrong. Humanity has to start over from scratch again. Small-scale conflict is no good. Unless there's a struggle for survival that can involve anyone and everyone, our eyes, our consciousness, will not grow."_

_He is not pushed by his hatred of war, or his anger over those who were stolen from him._

_Humans are more amazing than that. Believing only in that-_

_Life; humanity, must go to a place that the people of the past cannot even imagine. Knowing surely that-_

_The idea that man is innately good pushed this ghost to become a messiah. Although his views are elitist, they are also correct. Indeed, the beings of this era are all tired out. They are losing interest. They are giving up. They have long forgotten what it is to dream about the future._

_But—_

"_The people who live in each ear are responsible for choosing the path they take.__Twice H. Pieceman. The era which you were supposed to protect, ended long ago."_

_With these parting words the curtain of battle was raised._

_The final battle that overcame the seven seas._

_Holding a small, weak sword, you broke a large, strong wall._

_The crown of victory is beyond the end of the seven seas._

_With uncounted rewards and punishments in hand, you fought to the end to survive._

_That process itself is your chief proof._

_You run, traverse, break your way through everything to succeed._

_You look fondly on the destruction that is your last repose._

— _The night of your end had surely come. All that was left was to leave no regrets._

Hakuno woke up with a headache. Strange dreams and headaches have been more common for him lately. He was starting to think something was wrong with his body if not for Kiara, who was also a capable doctor, happily and also sadly telling him he was completely fine. No doubt she was happy it was nothing serious, and sad that it didn't mean he had no choice but to let her take care of him.

'Well, not that that's stopped her.' He opened his eyes to see Kiara in a Victorian-ish nightgown that became transparent below her waist(his eyes betrayed him and stared at her lack of underwear and thigh high socks). She rubbed her face onto a pillow clutched to her body. 'Glad to see my instincts still work even with these dreams.' Having been under Kiara's care for years, Hakuno was used to her sneaking into his bed every now and again. Not wanting to suffocate in his sleep, his body began to slip a pillow to be hugged by Kiara's heavenly pillows.

Hakuno was an orphan that was taken care of alongside a few others in a church in Japan, but was later taken in by Kiara. Not being one to show many emotions, Kiara seemed to take it upon her to watch over him. Hakuno Kishinami was his true and legal name, but the old priests and nuns only ever referred to him by Francis, which for some reason both pissed him off and made him feel at home. Moving with Kiara was blessing as she only referred to him as Hakuno.

Of course, with how sexy she was, puberty was rough, but with how oblivious she was to other men Hakuno took it upon himself to make sure she doesn't inadvertently seduce men and women.

He checked the time. He had half an hour until his childhood friend dropped by so they could go to school together.

They weren't actually in the same year, with him a first year in high school and her a third year in junior high, but the school they went to held different divisions up to college.

It was also female only, until recently. His childhood friend begged him to enroll so they could walk together to and from school a lot more. Most of his friends were going to different high schools anyways, so he ended up accepting.

Then, the smell of eggs hit his nose and he froze, before running out, making sure to put on his uniform first.

Sakura, in her uniform with an apron was there, earlier than usual. Her back was to him as she cooked. "Good morning senpai! I would have liked to wake you up, but it seems you were enjoying sleeping with Kiara-san."

He immediately began sweat dropping. As of late, Sakura had been feeling more mature when she talked. Not only that, but when she interacted with him it became clear to him that she [liked] him. Before there was nothing romantic in their interactions, but now she enjoyed clinging onto him and when she was at his house to study or to sleep over she wore somewhat revealing(for a girl her age) clothes. It didn't help that her body jumped from middle schooler level to high schooler.

She was also insistent that Kiara consistently checked on his health. And the moment he told her about his headaches she smiled before offering to kiss it away. Kiara he could deal with, but Sakura was another matter.

(To be honest it was as if Sakura had different personalities at times. He didn't want to die, so he made sure to keep silent on that)

"It's not like that Sakura! You know how that woman is. She has no idea what effect her body has on people-"

"Ah. I see, so senpai is the kind of man easily influenced by a women's body." She continued to cook as if she didn't just sound disgusted.

"That's not it!"

If he had seen her face, he would have seen a morose, but gentle and teasing, smile. For her, she held the lives of more than one [Sakura], just as he will hold the lives of more than one [Hakuno].

The life of a young girl who looked up to her childhood friend, having no doubt that she will never meet another boy like him.

The life of a woman who's lover was struck by amnesia syndrome, and patiently waited for him to wake up and give him a good morning.

The life of a [stone] that was trying to be human.

The lives of [Alter Egos], who loved selfishly, and learned to love selflessly.

These lives of women who loved [Hakuno] clashed and yet lived harmonically.

But the reason the separate lives clung together was thus;

To keep an eye on the one they loved, and protect him from the threats that would come for him.

SSxNM

-Live Master.

Even if you're a nobody.

I'm certain there's someone waiting for you.

Jinako never knew how true those words were. Returning to the Near Side of the Moon had been a shock, especially with Hakuno there to greet all the masters.

She was surprised as well that he even allowed her to keep her command seals. It was as if he could sense her newfound resolve to [simply live]/[do anything].

-...Even if I can't do anything. At least I have the freedom to do something, I guess-

When the Umbral Star had come, she fought past her fear and gave Karna his armor, ordering him to fight the Velbers and corrupted servants.

She was nothing special, she was even worse than average-

But she like many was inspired by the ghost who always himself helpless while trying his best. How could she sit back with the strongest armor while he joined his own servants into battle?

She thought it was the true end when the Moon Cell was slowly being absorbed by the Umbral Star.

But because of that younger man, she had one last retry.

In fact, it was even better than a retry. She was no longer in her thirties, but was back to her early twenties!

Well, not that it made much of a difference. She couldn't really go to high school with her looks. She didn't want to deal teenagers and their snide comments. Well, that and she was actually on a mission. (Thankfully not alone or she would have screwed up somewhere along the line)

A small mission, but a mission nonetheless.

Hanezu Himejima. He's a human of the Himejima clan, who was exiled and lost sight of the path he should take, thus kidnapping mere students and experimenting on them. He created the Utsusemi Agency and took in fellow exiles in order to take revenge on the ones who denied their existence.

It was heavy stuff, and she didn't think she was suited for this type of mission, but it helped to not be alone. All she needed to do was keep an eye out for outside interferences. Karna and the other servants would do the real work.

[Nameless] mentioned taking in their enemies alive if possible, but said that it was up to Karna's judgement if they were capable of changing for the better and would follow their orders.

While the thought of killing others still made her shaky, she wasn't so softhearted to stop others from doing the same. In a way, her near deaths helped make her feel like she shouldn't stop others from doing what they thought was necessary.

Hence, why even as Karna, the sane Lancelot, the thankfully sane Gilles, Li Shuwen, and Julius were storming the facility, she wasn't thinking of whether or not they were killing anyone, but instead focusing on keeping her eyes on a holographic map to watch for unexpected developments.

Karna once more lent her his armor, so she wasn't really afraid of anyone who might find her on the rooftop of the hideout.

She then found herself immensely grateful as she watched a red dot fly towards them at high speeds.

"Uh, Launcher? Everyone? We have a red dot flying straight to us. And from what I can tell it's pretty powerful." She resisted the urge to say please hurry. If worst came to worst she would just return to the Moon Cell.

"Karigari, we've taken out all but the leader of the organization. I'm sending Saber and Assassin to your position promptly. Be prepared for an emergency return just in case."

Ah. That would be a good idea. Saber could handle a good fight even without absurd beam attacks and Assassin could finish things off in a concealed strike. Julius, you're experience as an assassin are truly terrifying!

All joking aside, Jinako began to analyze the newcomer. If she learned anything from Hakuno in regards to the battlefield, it was that knowledge was more than just a help, it could even push the odds in their favor.

When the analysis completed, Jinako paled, before realizing that with Karna here she had no reason to worry.

After all, Kokabiel was alone. Against Li Shuwen's invisible strikes, Lancelot's relentless attacks, and Karna's power, he had no chance.

But first, she would see what could be needled out of the fallen. He was coming there for a reason after all. It would be worth noting if the reason was like there's, or more malicious in nature.

SSxNM

Lying in an abandoned shrine lied a large rock bound by talismans and chains.

It released a poisonous gas, which was currently stopping little by little.

Once it stopped, the rock shattered.

On the knees, a [Beast]/[Woman] appeared.

Slowly and with a confused look, the being stood, uncaring of its naked state.

Not knowing why, an image of a [twin] holding the arm of a [beautiful soul] appeared.

A wicked smile grew.

Rulers were destined to fall to beneath her [Poison]/[Schemes].


	4. Chapter 4

SSxNM 4  
Reminder that Issei unlocking his sacred gear is a timelock in itself(at least in dxd canon) because a lot of shit would have went wrong if he didn't. Well really its' because it's a loginus, and all of those are basically timelocks(hence why this starts in Slash/Dog as well).

Btw this is still the 'setting up' stage. The Story story won't start start until Hakuno regains his other self's memories. Which is a slow process.

Chapter Start

* * *

_"That's right, it was super irritating. I still don't like you...but...You cried, didn't you. You remembered me, and you cried, didn't you. I know. If I really think about it, you were my first, real, friend. So if you are left to remember, then that's enough..."_

_"Though your trials are many, keep living young one, your struggles will steel your determination." _

_"Alice has to thank Onii-chan for playing and caring with Alice. Alice no longer feels alone...but it would be nice to play a bit longer."  
_

_"Rather, I'd like you to think of it like this. The dead Gatou laughed once more. There was a ultra-truth-seeking monk, delicious even the second time around, who served a purpose even after death."  
_

_"A caring strong willed hero like yourself wouldn't just lose, so get out of here already. I guess I'll be watching your heroic form live, so go for the most popular actions, mkay? "  
_

_"That's right. You didn't know? You, Hakuno Kishinami, are my only friend. The final light I saw, when I had nothing."  
_

_"Yes, you are my good friend and trusted Head of General Affairs, so I know you'll succeed, but if there's one thing I won't approve of, it's you ruining your own future- so please keep that in mind."  
_

_"If I can manage it at all, I want our reunion to be on a rooftop, somewhere with a beautiful view."  
_

_"If possible, I'd like it if we were to reunite, you who had given me a 'heart' is naturally someone very precious to me."  
_

_Who were these people?_

_Why were they dying?_

_Why was he crying?_

_Why was he alive now?_

SSxNM

Kiara's misty eyes stared at a tossing and turning Hakuno.

It hurt her to see his nights not being spent peacefully nowadays.

She wished she could hug him, but for years he's been trying to stop her from doing that. And as the loving big sister, she obeyed even if she didn't want to.

Just thinking about it made Kiara cry. This must be the infamous teenage rebellion she heard so much about. If only Hakuno was still that young child who quietly enjoyed her warm hugs and not the snarky teenager who got red in anger at the thought of her hugging him.

Waking early to stare at the young man in order to fall asleep again was a habit of hers. It brought her a sense of comfort and peace to see him sleeping. Well, she also got that sense simply from looking at him.

The serene feeling she had living with the now young man was one she did not allow herself in the past. In the past, she travelled the world, comforting them with words and provisions.

She allied herself with many different people on many different occasions. A mutual agreement that they would use each other to help others for their own reasons.

But people do not understand good intentions with no ambition. Factions always kept an eye on her, sure that she was permanently with one of the other factions, behind her back the people she helped insulted her body and wanted her to leave as soon as possible...

Once, Kiara Sessyoin was a traveller who wanted to help people. Born a sick girl, saved by a story, she sought to help others in the future and prepared by reading college level books on her sick bed.

All she wants, now, is to live happily with the one closest to her.

Long ago, discouraged by a meeting with people who rejected her help in belief she was after something, she visited Japan and it's orphanages, sure that she could help and be accepted.

And help she did, and eventually she came across a stoic young boy in a church, one that was not going to live into his adult years- not talking, yet not leaving, not liking the name they call him, yet not hating it. A boy who knew emotion yet did not show it.

A child cursed with a disease that was almost beyond the ability of her [Twilight Healing].

Seeing those dull eyes light up(not comprehending, yet still understanding), with a smile in thanks(for now he had a future), she came to have a feeling of wishing to see it forever. It was, in some way, love at first sight.

And so, with a call to her dear friend Gabriel, she was allowed to adopt the boy, and the two became family.

With her traveling days over there and then, she dedicated herself to giving happiness to one who did not ask, and perhaps did not deserve, but in the end still needed.

She had encouraged him to seek more people his age, and his friendship with Sakura had always made her so happy, leaving her with the hopes that they would marry in the future and have cute little Hakubabies.

But she was certain that happy future was long off.

She may no longer travel, but that did not mean she blinded herself to the world's perils. Devils and Fallen tricking and abusing the innocent. Angels killing those without allowing chance of repentance. Humans twisting humans.

But still, she did not act. She knew now she did not need to give happiness and comfort to the world, but to what's important to her.

Thus, she stretched her hand beyond the pillow to cup Hakuno's face. The desire to be closer to him couldn't be held back any longer, and she crawled over the Hakuno scented pillow she purposely hugged in place of the boy himself in order to straddle him. She rubbed his cheeks a little more and then puffed her cheeks as he still didn't wake up.

Kiara decided to wake him up like she did when he was younger, as he looked uncomfortable in his sleep.

She leaned over, her chest against his, and kissed his cheek with his head cupped by both her hands. "If you don't wake up soon, big sister will tickle you~."

SSxNM

Sakura, once more cooking breakfast, heard stumbling and shouting in her senpai's room. It made her giggle as Kiara once more succeeded in teasing Hakuno, even if the woman herself didn't mean it.

The [Alter Egos] within her did not appreciate the woman being so close to Hakuno, but ultimately the knowledge that being with him prevented voluptuous from becoming a cult leader that screwed up people's lives or trying to 'kill' Hakuno who would stop her in obligation was what stayed the young girl's hands.

Already she needed to kill the stray devils that were attracted to the city. Thankfully the devils in charge of the territory were both incompetent enough not to notice what she was doing in their place.

It would be so much easier for her if the damn devils hadn't barged their way into Japan. They should have stayed in Europe and America like the two Angel species. Japan had enough problems without the extra baggage from the devils.

Things would be easier if some of the Alter Egos exited her and got their own bodies, but until Hakuno got the regalia back the Moon Cell would just delete them automatically, so unfortunately for her she needed to deal with the headaches of hearing them clash with one another.

But it was worth it, for [The one that she loved]/[The one that loved her].

SSxNM

A man in a doctor's coat gazed at himself in a mirror. He was hospitalized until recently where he woke miraculously. He was lost looking in the mirror for a simple reason.

His body was not his own.

The memories run through his mind were not his own.

He died in a war, lived as a ghost, and was deleted in rejection.

His ideals were not wrong. They never would be either. For he was proved right, that conflict could turn someone from average, to amazing.

That was why-he would follow them once more. For now more than ever, humanity needed guidance. To reach beyond the stars, and defeat what lies within them.

But it didn't need a [messiah], what it needed, was without a doubt, a [King].

SSxNM

Shinji rubbed his head with a groan, ignoring Dan's disapproval and Gatou's laughter.

He looked over the 'new residents'. A bunch of stupid magicians and experimented students who wanted a place where they belonged and could feel safe in.

There really wasn't a problem accepting them, but the Moon Cell was still in the process of repairing their territory, and they really didn't have much room as it was already incredibly cramped. The Moon Cell was still slow in its integration with the new Moon Cell.

Luckily the students still had homes with their families, so even if it put them in the eyes of the Grigori and Devils, they could go back and return to the Moon Cell later once he taught them how to.

And then he had to tell them their new 'jobs' to prepare for the [Umbral Star]. For the magicians, it involved injecting magic daily in gems for future use as well as creating their animal monster doll things without hypnotizing people. Then he needed to find out what the students could do and give them jobs and teach them how to fool anyone on the supernatural side into believing they were normal students caught up in an accident and saved and returned by a mysterious party.

He sighed hard.

Why couldn't Leo or Hakuno be here instead? Hell, even Rin or Rani would be better. Shinji has long since gotten over his whole popular phase. He would've preferred looking over the city administratively only.

He wasn't good at explanations or teaching despite his genius. And really, unlike the others he mentioned, he didn't really have that [presence] that acquired respect and obedience.

He sighed and brought up a hologram, ignoring Gatou explaining to them how to feel spiritrons in their surroundings.

The hologram was old footage of the [Umbral Star]. His servant, Drake, was one of the many servants that fell. While he would expect to see her again soon once the Throne of Heroes within the Moon Cells connect, it wouldn't be the same as it wasn't [her], and he knew Rin, Rani, and Leo had to deal with that problem as well.

He wasn't incredibly emotional over her death, their contract together was different from Hakuno's and his servant(s). But he found a sort of inspiration in her death, as well as in Hakuno's.

The sight of her Armada shooting at floods of Attack Programs and the Velbers was one that could only be imagined in some twisted dream. Although it was pretty awe inspiring seeing those ships with plenty more.

And while the Noble Phantasms of Drake and others such as Jason or Blackbeard weren't enough to take down the Velbers, it had provided the openings necessary for Hakuno's servants to defeat the Velbers.

He should've died losing against Hakuno during the War, he should've died when he sacrificed himself at the Far Side of the Moon, should've died with Drake against the Velbers.

He wonders how many miracles have saved him.

He wondered if there were any left.

That might be a question best left unanswered.

But for that, he needed to prepare for Hakuno's return.

SSxNM

Rin and Rani bathed in exhaustion in Hakuno's/Nero's/Tamamo's giant bath hot spring room.

The two were tired from their training with their Pseudo-servant powers, a function given to the "Student Council", which consisted of them, Leo, Hakuno when he returned, Julius, Shinji, and Jinako.

Out of them, Jinako was the only who's servant power wasn't meant for fighting, so she didn't need to train as she already understood how to use them. Likewise Julius and Shinji's were relatively simple as long as they knew what they wanted to do. Leo was without question an infuriating genius and thus was not to be mentioned at all.

But they had the hardest time. For one thing, Rin had to deal with a surprise weird connection with some goddesses who were always questioning her, and Rani had to deal with Chen Gong, Lu Bu, and Diao chan talking in her head. Thankfully both were getting better at locking the voices away.

Their training consisted of beating the snot out of each other using bets, such as who gets first kiss when Hakuno gets back, who gets to call themselves his left hand(because that damn Leo already took the right hand), and who gets to cook his first meal on whatever day.

So just friendly competition if not for the fact that they were constantly trying to stab and blow each other up.

They also trained with [Nameless], but he was down on Earth a lot gathering data on the factions and probably failing to stop the urge from saving people.

"Aa~h. A soak after a hard training session is just what I needed." Rin stretched her arms back.

Rani's hands instinctively went for her glasses despite them not being there. "Indeed. We are getting used to fighting as if we were servants. The [worldline] that Hakuno observed to give us this capability must be quite odd."

Rin dryly said, "Well that's one way of putting it. Any world where masters fight servants must be like a million to one possibility. I guess now we know what Hakuno did in his spare time when he was hiding from us." Something that happened quite often, as Hakuno liked to slip away from all his clingy Servants and admirers. Usually he went out on his own to covertly walk around his own cities or rest somewhere and look at the Moon Cell's databases, but sometimes he would get dragged into some new adventure.

Like the time he walked around New Rome with Little Altera only to run into Charlemagne.

Or the time he ran into a Berserker Fenrir.

Or the time he accidentally ran into a glitch of some alternate version of her who was the master of [Nameless].

Needless to say, he had a habit of getting into trouble.

"We also know that Hakuno has planned for the possibility of our previous Moon Cell falling for a long time. Possibly since defeating Archimedes. The Divine Moon Beings seem to be greatly affected by the Moon Cell more than we thought, as they quickly became our allies in exchange for being present to meet Hakuno when he returns."

"Well, that guy hates making enemies after all. He even saved us during the Holy Grail War even we ended up being kidnapped by BB later on. He's too soft hearted to be a king sometimes…"

Despite knowing that their Hakuno [died], they couldn't bring themselves to leave the present tense. It would be like accepting that he was truly gone, something they couldn't accept.

Rani pooled some water into her hands. She had a small smile. "I will always look fondly of the memory of him saving us from deletion, both during the war and at the Far Side."

Rin snorted. "Yeah, real fondly huh? "I no longer have a purpose. You should have let me die. An average person like you has no reason to save me. Why do you strive to live so badly?""

Rani blushed at the paraphrasing of her attitude back then. Unfortunately she really couldn't complain, so this time the verbal win went to Rin. She couldn't even retort using Rin's crying and embarrassment when Hakuno entered her heart because the same thing happened to her.

Rin kept mocking Rani's depressing attitude back then while mimicking Rani's voice, forcing the homunculus to blush even deeper at her dark history.

Eventually a hologram popped up with a video to a pinkish haired girl with glasses. "Um, Rin-san, Rani-san, we, um, might have a new problem."

The two raised eyebrows to each and leaned in so the new girl could see both of them.

"Jinako-san has gotten into contact with us, it seems like the mission went off without much of problem, except, for, well, she's asking what she should do with a knocked out Fallen Angel. He had seen Karna-san for several seconds but was given no knowledge of who he could be, as it seems that his spear is unrecognizable here as well."

Rin groaned while Rani went to adjust nonpresent glasses.

"Ugh. Looks like we might have to ignore some of Hakuno's orders already. We're only a month into this world too."

"Hm…not necessarily, perhaps this can work in our favor. All we need to do is trick this fallen angel into believing we are another group."

The other two girls looked at Rani skeptically.

"It may be early, but the Grigori, especially Azazel in particular are quite good at keeping secrets, so perhaps we should let them know of Khaos Brigade now instead of when Hakuno reappears."

Rin rubbed her chin. "Hm, not a bad idea. We can just have Julius pretend to be one of those idiots from the human factions. What do we they call themselves again? The Hero Faction or whatever."

Rani nodded. "Then we are in agreement then. Mashu, send our request to Julius-san at once."

"Hai!" And with that the video call ended and the two slumped back and sighed.

"Haaah. I hate all this subterfuge. It was pain then and it's a pain now." Rin complained as she scratched her blonde hair.

"I believe this would be a welcome change from your terrorist days." Rani said, finally returning a retort for the embarrassment earlier.

"Oh shut up! It was Leo's family's fault in the first place that I became freedom fighter! And the only reason you aren't complaining is because you like doing what people tell you!"

"That is correct. The same can be said about you."

They bantered on as they relaxed in the hot spring.


	5. Chapter 5

SSxNM 5

AN: Heading to Vegas so I rushed this chapter out. It's stumped me for awhile and probably has more mistakes than I noticed but I'll fix em up eventually.

Also, bring in Hakunon or nah? Tell me your feelings cuz it doesn't change the story itself, just adds another side character.

Chapter Start

[CoRuPteD] are virtual life forms created in order to allow the Holy Grail War to proceed smoothly.

They each have their own predetermined [xXxX], and they cannot to deviate from it. However despite their role being decided, they are each equipped with their own unique thoughts and personality.

If NPCs were not realistic living beings, they would not be able to evoke genuine reactions and responses from the Masters who encounter them.

The Moon Cell calculated this- and this is why the NPCs were bestowed with artificial intelligence. For the sake of observation.

However an NPC's "personality" is a one-time-only prospect, and no deviation is allowed from their preset perspective of the world.

Once the Holy Grail War ends, the Moon Cell confiscates their accumulated experiences, including any gained physical ability, knowledge or personality development. [XCoRuptedx] is reset, and they are equipped and re-tuned in preparation for the next Holy Grail War.

To the NPCs who know they will suffer this fate, [XxXxXXx] are an object of envy and even hatred.

Jerked around by the illogical actions of humans and treated as expendable tools, more than a few NPCs are unsatisfied with their existence in the world. In a way, life is bestowed upon them, but it is also denied to them.

They are simply something that is "here" or "not here."

Their discontent built up to the point where it gave birth to an urban legend among them, one of false hope. It's said that at the end of their so-called reincarnation cycle, NPCs with a high level of humanity, meaning those who obtained a soul, are upgraded to be high-level AIs above the Moon Cell's automatic processes.

Of course, no such future exists for them.

Even if such a thing were to happen, as far as Moon Cell is concerned, it would be no more than a meaningless bug. An existence that was not meant to be-therefore deleted.

In the [XXxXx] homunculus and clone technology has become popular in underground society.

Such technology is forbidden by religious ethics, but due to the global birthrate decline which caused there to be a lack of manpower this unlawful technology has continued to thrive.

In areas controlled by the West Europe Plutocracy homunculus technology is considered unethical meaning it is unable to be used openly. However, in areas like Africa, the Middle East, and poor Asian countries, which lie outside of the Plutocracy's sphere of control, the technology is used to mass produce low quality homunculus that are used as prostitutes, laborers, and for human organ sales. The West Europe Plutocracy's monopoly on resources has caused already poor countries to become even poorer which in turn leads them to use create homunculus as a way to obtain foreign capital and goods. This creates a vicious cycle where the poor countries sell their created organs and laborers which improves the Plutocracy's labor force which in turn leads to the Plutocracy further profiting and solidifying their hold over the world.

Homunculi in the true sense of the word were only created at the Atlas Institute, but its doors have already been closed for all eternity.

These two artificial types of beings existed to follow the paths laid out to them by their creators.

To them, [The Sovereign] who broke that destiny for them was more than a king.

Akin to Gilgamesh and Solomon who separated Humanity from the Gods, [The Sovereign] was the King who allowed them to grow on their own, unhindered by the whims of others. They were now akin to humans, physical makeup aside.

Chishiki Mame. Cryer. Ikuyo Yuutou. Kadeem Makidera. Sister Caren. Taiga Fujimura. Issei Ryuudou. [CorRRUpted] Aozaki [xXxxXx] and Aozaki [XxXx] These notable [xXXxXxX] were the first to stop being puppets. They assisted the first one who broke their cycle of despair.

But the [Sovereign] had many allies besides those were once puppets. There were many who owed him their life, who had clashed with him in battle.

Nakamura Minori(Once Master of Zhao Yun and Kotono Katsura(Once Master of Gareth). A tragic couple worthy of Shakespeare's attention. As they stood together in the Hallway, my small hopes they would not be matched together would not be heard. Not taking the situation they were in seriously until it was too late, they felt themselves swimming in the Sea of Despair. I helped Katsura as per Minori's last request as much as I could, but she could not heal the cracks of her own psyche, or her heart. Death was kinder to her than life.

Maiko [XxX](Once Master of Tawara Touta). Friendly until the end. He never shied away from the classroom closest to My Room. Even when it was clear that they would need to fight and die, he wanted a fair fight leaving no regrets.

Mitsuzari Ayano(Once Master of Penthesilea). An ally of Rin's that joined the War on the Moon to stop the Harway's. She was always calm, accepting the responsibility of winning, but she hated Leo to the point of losing composure. She was always alone at the Archery Range.

[XxX] Shishi(Once Master of Sun Shangxiang). A rough girl I ran into near the stairs often. She always noted how helpless I was and how strong my opponents were. Eventually, she stopped being surprised at my victories and craved to face me in battle herself.

[CRruptEd] Hana(Once Master of Tomoe Gozen). A gentle girl that liked to idle around the fountains outside. The flowers she gifted to me was a simple kindness of a girl who fought for her family.

Of the Masters I've defeated at the [Far Side]/[Near Side], I couldn't call myself particularly close to them. But the second chance I gave them earned their [Loyalty]/[Trust].

Mable. Tine. [CoRruPted]. [CorRuPtED]. Fiore. Isemi. [CoOrUpTed]. Tamaki. (CoRpteD] Erice. Karin. Sigma. They were all humans who entered the Moon Cell's new frontier upon its opening. Originally there for their own reasons, they attracted my attention in contracting with Masterless Servants. They all decided to help me after seeing my [CoRRuPteD]. When more problems arose in the form of more rouge servants or rebellious hackers or [CrPtDxx], they assisted me in keeping the peace.

Do you see now? There are many who [COrruPtEd]. The burdens grow increasingly stronger. This is inevitable for one who lives. Connecting with others is a simple fact of life regardless of one's desires. It is one's responsibility to respond to those bonds in some form.

SSxNM

Xenovia wiped sweat off her forehead. Her chestnut haired ally was equally as tired as they faced a stray devil that clearly used to be a knight from its speedy movements.

It dodged every single one of their blows. Xenovia was a power type fighter, and had no chance to hit the moving target, her partner was agile, but her human speed paled in comparison to the insane beast.

It hid in the trees and targeted their open backs. And when they pressed their own backs against the other it strikes at their sides. It was an endurance and reflex game where they tried to lessen the force behind its blows.

Their holy weapons that it should have been weak against were for some reason ineffective. Whether it was due to its power or to outside influence, they had no idea and could not think of which it could be.

It wasn't looking good for them.

Or at least, it wouldn't if they weren't incredibly lucky.

"Yooossshhhhaaaa!"

A cry rang out as in a flash the monster was bisected in front of them.

"Woah!"

"Fast!"

Irina and Xenovia widened their eyes as a black and white haired male and a blonde haired woman stood with their swords brandished.

The man nodded at a job well done while the girl looked on in pride.

"Wow you two sure are fast! Thanks for the help!" Irina smiled in gratitude.

Xenovia looked at them warily, thankful that they saved her and Irina, but not letting her guard down just yet.

"Defeating a creature such as this is no obstacle for one such as myself." The blonde said with an arrogant air about her.

"Helping out was the cool thing to do after all. Nothing to thank us for." The man said with a small grin.

Xenovia wasn't exactly the smartest girl around, but even she could tell that these two were stronger than her and Irina. "Who are you two?" She asked for their identities.

"Names Charle! Nice to meet ya!"

"I am-ahem- Aestus Estus! A loved child of Roma!"

Irina and Xenovia looked at each other.

"Erm. Don't worry about sempai. You two wouldn't happen to know any exceptionally average brown looking teen your age would ya? We're kinda lost and could use some help."

""Huh?""

SSxNM

Leo stood tall with a small pout. watching the future Slash Dog and Samejima fight Rin and Rani(by this point they were all close enough to not need formalities). Their familiars, sacred gears, were deceptively strong, but they stood no chance against Rin and Rani working together.

Leo wouldn't deny feeling the slightest bit of childish jealousy seeing Rin and Rani perform what the former called a magical girl transformation sequence to gain their servant powers. He wanted to look cool too! It was unfair that he didn't need to fight and train the sacred gear users just because he had perfect control over Gawain's Servant powers.

He wouldn't have much of a chance to use those powers either, as he needed to be careful not to be seen on Earth. While not as prominent as their timeline, the Plutocracy did exist, and he needed to keep an eye on them in case they cause any trouble like futilely causing a civil war on the Moon. This meant while Rin and Rani could search for Hakuno and talk to different factions in person, he was left managing the cities with Shinji and overlooking mission assignment for their people.

Still, he didn't appreciate being left out of the fun. Rin and Rani seemed to really enjoy punching each other in the face, and he wanted to give it a go too! He didn't want to be some behind the scenes helper when his friends were fighting for truth, justice, or humanity! That was Shinji's role!

He was the Perfect King, born and bred...

Yet, in having tasted a 'normal' friendship, and shoulders free of any weight, he had no qualms handing away that responsibility to one who he knew would not abuse nor waste it.

He's never really wanted or desired much in his life. He simply acted for what he thought was best for Humanity, not even having a reason to do so. Now, he just wanted to have more of those precious few peaceful days, where he lounged around with his friends.

'Heh. Heh heh.'

'Is something wrong?'

'Course not. It just came to me but...you really are a go with the flow kind of guy all things considered. It's not an impression you give off.'

'Oh? And when did you begin to come to this realization about me?'

'Well, there was that time in the Labyrinth where you had me dive into your heart like with the girls. And just recently you helped plan a picnic for us to have under the sky with Rani because Rin's been stuck indoors trying to organize our little makeshift army of Wizards, Hackers, and Homunculi. You can match up with whatever obstacles is staring you down, but in the end you prefer to spend your time enjoying the present. Like during the preliminaries and you played the student role.'

'...is...that so?...is that so...hm...so it...is?'

'Hey, it's not a bad thing by any means. You've seen some of the kings around here. They're hardly what one would call responsible, at least on the surface. Anyways, I was telling you this because I wanted you to relax more. Something tells me the near future is going to be more turbulent than ever. And when it comes to having fun, you're the best at making sure our little group has it. Call it a new responsibility to add to those shoulders of yours.'

A responsibility free of expectation, requiring him to act in any manner he desired. Where he was free to lounge around in the company of those he cherished. It was the same for his brother, who's body was modified and his mind set forced into that of something closer to a weapon.

Looking back, it was hard to call the lives he and his brother lived as something necessary.

A message popped up to his side as Rin kicked Samejima in the nose as he insulted her body.

'Hey blondie, Karna and I have finished convincing the fallen angel head honcho that we aren't around to take over the world or whatever. But he wouldn't ally with us until he had absolute proof we weren't terrorists or something, so I decided to warn him about those brigade guys Hakuno cautioned us about.'

"Hoh? That was quite fast. I'm sure Karna-san must have said some quite heated words for the Fallen to accept a secret alliance. We will have to avoid the other factions until Hakuno comes back, but it should be quite easy to shake hands with the devils."

"Leo-sama?" Miss Natsume who was watching on the sidelines with Slash Dog's childhood friend was curious of his words.

He waved his hand in dismissal. "There's no need for you to know at the moment. You should focus on achieving Balance Breaker like your fellow sacred gear users here. The moment you achieve a resolution strong enough to influence your sacred gear is the moment we will be able to trust you with missions that few can be given." Unfortunately, with their fire power centered around servants, most of whom could be easily noticed by the Divine Beings and such, they needed to wait stay out of the spotlight and leave the heavy hitting to Hakuno's circle of trust and their new sacred gear recruits.

SSxNM

Sirzechs rubbed his temples.

Despite the airs he liked to put on in front of his sister, he was usually more fatigued than he gave off.

Running Devil Society was a mess after all.

As living beings they were closer to species such as Youkai, meaning that despite their reputations they were not innately 'Evil' or cruel. However, their magic grew in accordance to their negative emotions, and often one in particular would be strongest. For him, it was wrath, his wife, envy, his little sister, pride, Serafall, lust, and so on and so forth.

This of course meant that devils thought they were free to sin as much as they liked, always causing trouble for themselves and others. This was a mistaken belief that came from witnessing how the demons of old acted. Drowning themselves in sin did not actually make them stronger however, but instead weaker as it meant they did not fully comprehend their negative emotions.

He couldn't control how others reacted, and while he was fine with that, he was NOT fine with not being allowed to limit certain actions. Their new laws to prevent devils from interfering with the human world too deeply was effective, but not by much, and it was far too easy to not be caught as they weren't allowed by the Elders to create magical contracts to enforce these laws.

He knew it was only a matter of time until the humans re-learned the true existence of myths and legends. And if they discovered how manipulative the otherworldly beings are, including the devils and gods, he feared what would happen in the future.

His greatest sin of power may be wrath, but it was not because he liked it. It was because he cared too deeply that he angered so easily. He wanted his sister, his son, his wife, to have the peaceful lives they deserved.

In truth, he knew that a majority of the beings in charge of their Factions desired peace. The Great War that involved the entire world ruined them all, and they knew they were lucky to not have lost as many people as they did.

That was because a threat rose up and needed to be sealed away by the God of Bible and his strongest Angels, the Maou and Satan, and cost the power of many of the Gods.

It was the aftermath of the battle that lead them to stop the war, but because of the deep seeded distrust, no true peace treaty was made.

Unfortunately, he had no way of really contacting any of the factions except Heaven, seeing as they pretty open about the Vatican being their capital for devout humans.

As if the easily broken peace wasn't enough, he had to deal with his parents selfishly trying to force Rias to marry Riser because they had gotten drunk with the Phenex's parents.

His instincts, honed by war, told him he needed to fix all these problems as soon as possible.

For the threat that the world gathered together against may come back before they were ready.

SSxNM

Sona liked to think herself a caring and ambitious young girl.

Like her good friends Rias and Seekvaira, she had no intentions on letting others dictate her actions. In devil society, you're either strong enough to control your own life, or let others control it for you.

Female devils, more often than not, either did not have the strength or ambition to take control of their own lives in the same sense that she and her sister did.

Having grown up with a logical mindset and her sister's fascination and view on humans, she gained a mindset different from that of her parents. She rather preferred their society to her own, hence why she was going to a human school under the pretense of gathering peerage members, though she did indeed gather some.

Experiencing life with humans would surely help her in the future, as she intended on opening up a school that would hopefully result in a less barbaric society in the future, and also educate devils as they deserved.

Hence, why she was spending her first year learning from the current third year student council president to take over the next year. She believed the accumulation of experiences one lives through was important, and did not want to be like her friend Rias who did not do anything when she was unsure of what to do.

Rias's uncertainty in her actions were always clear as day, in comparison Sona who's first action when her parents arranged a marriage for her was to challenge the man to a chess game.

And even though she was hesitant on if it would work, she charged into that game with everything she had and came out on top.

Many devils since then had challenged her simply due to her requirements, intending on proving themselves and gain an intelligent trophy wife. In return she improved her skills in order to outsmart even the oldest devils that challenged her to a game of wits.

It was because of her wife that she noticed something Rias hadn't.

Lately they've been needing to deal with Stray Devils more often. They weren't a threat, but it was getting to the point that she asked her sister to send one of her peerage members to patrol at night in order to make sure the citizens were safe.

She theorized that someone within the city held latent power strong enough to attract them, which was a bad thing, but could become better or worse depending on if the the person knew they had this power.

If they did, they may be a threat, and if they didn't, she needed to either put a restriction on their power or recruit them.

She had no intentions on telling Rias either. The spoiled redhead could figure it out on her own, either way she would owe Sona a favor for being the more responsible Second Owner, but she needed to stand on her own without anyone else's help.

"Shitori-san?"

Sona jumped at the voice behind her. It was one of the new male students at the school, he was her age and they were in the same class.

"Kishinami-san, in the future please do not sneak up on me."

He looked amused at what she said and she frowned.

"I've been calling out to you for the past minute. It's lunch time now."

She realized that he was right, and their class was empty leaving them alone.

"If you're feeling sick, you shouldn't force yourself to go to school you know. Black eye bags don't fit you."

She blushed and rubbed her eyes. She had been joining her sister's servants to patrol, not wanting to simply shove the responsibility aside.

"My health is just fine. I've simply been studying late lately."

Kishinami was one whose facial expressions did not change frequently like herself, so seeing him amused by her reactions merely made her flush harder. He was rather quiet and easily slipped into the background, but when he had your attention, he was able to easily tease the other party. She didn't know how he was able to read people so easily and find out what embarrassed them, but she considered asking him for tips or recruiting him into her peerage. For the former, knowing how to read others would be a great help in outwitting others, for the latter, she believed she would enjoy the back and forth and that he would be quite a good servant as he also reminded her of a laid back Tsubaki.

"Well, it's all well and good to work hard, but it's good to take breaks as well. Knowing your limits is important for a future student council president." He teased her with the tiniest hints of a smirk.

She merely coughed into her hand and checked the time. Ignoring how he probed her weakness to being called student council president so seriously. She wasn't used to people outside her peerage, sister, or friends earnestly believing she could achieve something.

Kishinami stood up slowly and rubbed his head.

"Ugh. Speaking of health, tell the teacher for the next class that I'll be in the Nurse's office. My head is killing me again."

She raised an eyebrow. "Again? You've been missing classes quite frequently. It isn't like you and I doubt you're skipping class on purpose."

He shrugged. "Might be a virus going around. Some of my friends and my guardian have been having these headaches too."

She stood to go find Tsubaki, her queen, who was in another class so they could eat lunch.

"I see. I'll remember to copy some notes for you. Focus on resting."

They parted ways with him leaving one last tease.

"Already acting the model student huh seito kaichou?"

She did not speed away because of his words. Nope. She was just in a rush to find Tsubaki.

SSxNM

A tanned woman stood in the middle of an empty plain. She gazed at the moon as a refreshing breeze filled the night.

"Ah. Yet another wonderful dream...if only I were to sleep eternally..." she mourned of a dream of love at first sight.

"But, that is impossible for me." She said, and with a wave of her white hand out of place on her body, the plain was brought to a brown ruin.

"No, I don't think it's impossible." A tanned child stood in front of her and held her hands.

"Soon, one who accepts these destructive hands will appear. Surely, that day will come, and the dream will come about once more."

"I cannot wait forever."

"There is no reason to wait forever, for our [eternity] is by that one's side, not away from it."

"If there is one who will grasp these ugly hands..."

"It would make you happy beyond belief- right?"


End file.
